Education: Apple Of Business` Eye

April 29, 1985|By Aleen Zimberoff, Business Writer

A red shiny apple might have been enough to please the school marm in days past, but with the federal government operating a guillotine to chop funding for schools and student loans, that apple does nothing to satisfy education`s appetite.

Today, schools are crying out for computers, equipment, faculty members and money.

And as never before, the South Florida business community is joining hands and checkbooks to yank local education into the 21st century.

For as surely as two plus two equals four, the equation for future growth in South Florida adds business input to the school system to churn out better- trained employees and upgrade the image of this region as a serious center for learning.

Florida has long suffered from a poor showing in the national education ranking, both in terms of direct funding to education and students` test scores.

When it comes to the state handing out funds, universities in South Florida have been a stepchild in comparison to universities in Gainesville and Tallahassee. The whole Southeast region foundered when it came to serving up top-notch graduate students to the burgeoning local industry.

Weaknesses in the educational system have made it difficult for growing companies to find job candidates in the local market, and the scarcity of good schools has been a major obstacle to attracting young professionals concerned about their children`s education and their prospects for graduate-level education.

But in the last year, a near-cavalry of industry has mounted to make some changes.

On almost every front -- from pure educational funding and adopt-a- school matchups to executive loan programs and on-site instruction -- the South Florida business community has rallied in strong numbers to get more state funding for hometown schools and has pitched in people, equipment and dollars to improve schools from kindergarten to the PhD. level.

The need for better education transcends any specific industry.

``We`re focusing on high-tech because it`s hot right now. But any type of business is helped when we have a comprehensive university nearby,`` explained Seth Gordon, president of South Florida Coordinating Council. The group is a virtual Who`s Who of corporate brass from the tri-county area joined to lobby the Legislature this year for funding to strengthen Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University.

Last year, the Legislature approved the ``Southeast Plan,`` formally called the Comprehensive Public University Presence in Southeast Florida. The plan was designed by South Florida`s two public universities, FAU and FIU, to bring a more comprehensive university presence to this area.

The plan asks that funds be provided to FAU and FIU in proportionate amounts to the allocations given to Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of Florida in Gainesville and the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Educators hope to funnel a total of $176 million for a 10-year improvement program and for the 1985-86 academic year, they are pushing for $6.9 million in operating funds and $2.2 million for new buildings.

The South Florida Coordinating Council has taken a strong lead in lobbying the legislators to appropriate the funds this year.

Also, after years of pressure from local politicians, educators are carving out University Tower, Broward County`s version of a four-year state university in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Construction began last year on a $9 million, 9-story building at 220 SE Second Ave. Broward Community College, along with FAU and FIU, will together offer bachelor`s, master`s and doctoral programs there. Completion is scheduled for early 1986.

``For one of the first times, you have had business leaders in three counties united as one in support of higher education. There is a lot of altruism in their effort, but there`s a lot of hard-sense business acumen involved,`` said Fausto Gomez, a lobbyist for FIU in Miami. ``After all, we are an economic generator for this region.``

FIU`s School of Engineering has raised more than $1 million in sponsored research in four years of existence and has ongoing faculty exchanges with Cordis, IBM and other firms. The Big Eight accounting firms have supported the business school and the Coca-Cola Corp. will provide $30,000 in business school scholarships this year earmarked for Hispanic students.

One of the most acute problems stemming from the absence of a top- ranked public school here is that in many cases employers must search out of state for well-educated candidates. That process makes doing business more expensive. It also impedes a company`s ability to grow.

``Unless industry and education do team up -- from K through 12 right on through the graduate programs -- we`re just not going to get what we need to feed our future business growth,`` said David Rush, president and chairman of Fort Lauderdale-based ACR Electronics and chairman of the Florida High Technology and Industrial Council.